r., s., and t. “servants houses”

This animation illustrates the construction of three identical single-family log slave dwellings. Rendering by Earl Mark.

r. “servant's house”Dwelling for an enslaved family1793–ca. 1830

s. “servant's house”Dwelling for an enslaved family1793–ca. 1830

t. “servant's house”Dwelling for an enslaved family1793–ca. 1830

Built around 1793, these identical log dwellings were “servants houses of wood with wooden chimnies, & earth floors, 12. by 14. feet, each and 27. feet apart from one another.” They likely contained lofts and were made of pine “logs, hewed on two sides . . . and dove tailed.” The structures were single-family dwellings for enslaved artisans and house servants—likely residents of the buildings included Sally Hemingsand her family, Critta Hemingsand her son James (Jamey), and joiner John Hemmingsand his wife Priscilla. All three of the dwellings were probably demolished around 1830.